Under new Central Government legislation that is being forced on local Councils, all householder planning applications, housing developments with fewer than 10 units of housing and minor commercial developments will be decided by professional planning officers under delegation. Only larger housing and commercial applications could still receive a committee hearing, together with applications for trees and advertising consents.

However, this is only if the chairman of the Council’s Development Control Committee and a senior planner agree. Councillors will no longer be able to ‘call in’ planning applications but will have to ‘apply to call in’ those applications which could be considered at committee. Residents will still be able to make their views known via the Council’s planning portal or by e-mailing the Planning department and we encourage people to do so.

Cllr Alexa Michael, Chairman of the Development Control Committee, said: “This is an appalling piece of legislation which almost completely removes the democratic accountability from planning. Both Councillors and residents will have no say on almost all planning applications. I only hope that a future government overturns this nonsense and allows local democracy in planning to flourish again.”